As Luck Would Have It
by Shi Natoka-chan . Nah
Summary: She already lived an entire lifetime. She doesn't need a second one. Tsunayoshi, though, maybe she can help him get a better childhood this time around.
1. Prologue

**"JUUDAIME!" Gokudera shouts in terror as the explosion envelopes his boss.**

Catherine can't look away—

—until the nurse snaps the laptop shut with a grump huff.

"Miss Cat, what did I say about overtime, again?"

"That it's not very good for my eyes," Catherine answers obediently, smiling all shut eyed at her loyal caretaker.

Daniya sighs at her. "If you know, then come on. It's past 9."

"Will I have a visitor tomorrow?" Catherine asks as she takes Daniya's arm, using the support to get up on her weakening legs.

Her nurse doesn't answer as they take a few steps forward. Too sympathetic to be blunt, it seems.

"Not tomorrow, Miss Cat," she finally answers, then gently adds, "I'm sure they're going to come soon. Maybe they're very busy, now."

"Yes, yes, of course." Catherine agrees more to reassure Daniya instead of herself. Personally, she still holds out hope, but after three months without even a word from her family . . . she can take the hint. She's not going to be one of those old witches who nags everyone to do what she wants, just because she's probably going to go kaput in a year or two.

Daniya unlocks her bedroom and sends her in with a wave. After making sure she doesn't need anything else, Daniya closes the door again and leaves to take care of the others in the nursing home.

Catherine takes her pajamas from the dresser. She changes out of and into her own clothes, because at the very least, she is still capable of doing this. Sure, it strains her veins, makes her bones ache a little bit more, but exhaustion's been an old friend of hers anyway.

She fights for her independence once. She still wants to keep it, even now.

Folding her used clothes into the wastebasket for tomorrow's laundry, she walks towards her bed. Before getting into it, she digs under the mattress first, and pulls out a slightly battered comic book—she chuckles a little when she recalled how annoyed Ally would get when she called her _man-ga_ as comic books.

Catherine lifts the book closer so she can see through her often unfocused eyes. She caressed the familiar cover, where young Tsuna is standing with fire burning on his head and in his eyes. It was an old book, by now, but Catherine does love it so. This is the last gift Ally gave her, before she grew up and deemed cartoons and grandmas to be too 'old fashioned' to retain her attention.

Oh, how Catherine misses her family.

But it's alright. She gets under the blanket, leans against the headrest, and still chortles and smiles while she re-reads her granddaughter's misplaced passion.

Catherine has had a good enough life. The fact that she still can be happy now is more than plenty.

She falls asleep with the thought of Tsunayoshi and his friends' adventure—a shroud of peace that softens the memory of Ally, of Chris, of Aldrich . . . of everybody else, and carries them away.

_Her Dying Will_.


	2. Into the New World

If asked years later what it feels like to be born again, Catherine wouldn't know. One minute she's inside her room, dozing away, and the next, darkness passes like a fleeting dream before the world reappears in blurs—like her eyes often gets when she exhausts them.

She is surrounded by unfamiliar voices and what might be faces, handled by one hand and passed toward another and she hasn't been this scared for a long while.

She cries, and she passes out from exhaustion.

She wakes up and sees white. The ceiling. Light's coming from her peripheral. The place she is lying on is soft, but when she turns her head—it flops like a wet sock, and—she only sees bars like a jail's cell.

She tries to reach it, but there is something stopping her. Fabric. Someone wraps her in fabric and she can't break free. She tries to move, to turn, to stand, but no, she can't.

She's never been this weak before, this helpless . . .

Someone she can't see—distance is still a blur—starts crying, wailing like it's the end of the world. Catherine's heart jump, races.

Another one catches the bawl, sniveling then breaking into fresh tears.

Then another.

She is scared. So scared. Where is she? What happened to her? Is she dead and that's her family crying at her funeral? At her hospital's bed?

The thought chokes on her throat.

She thought she has come to term with her impending demise, but maybe, she's not so ready after all.

The sounds stab into her ears relentlessly, shaking her to the core, until she finally decides to give in.

Again, she cries.

A young and mildly panic voice starts to slip in amongst the weeping, but Catherine barely catches it.

She slips out of consciousness once more time.

\- o - o - o - o -

That's not the last time it happens.

Catherine finally realizes that she is a baby again when a big, _big _woman in nurse uniform picks her up like a doll, carrying her through hallways full of more big, blurring people, before handing her off to a tired but happy looking young woman who smiles when she sees her.

They handle her gently, and coo at her in a language she can't understand.

Oh, she knows that language, though. She has heard the accent, intonation, and its pattern many times before.

Japanese.

She is reincarnated again in Japan, and somehow, she still carries the memories of her past self with her.

\- o - o - o - o -

Just once, there is a blond man who enters the young woman's—her new _mother_—hospital room.

That man has another baby that he snuggles before it's given to her new mother. He suddenly reaches for her and lifts her up because she can't struggle away.

He nuzzles her too, and despite knowing that this must be her new father in the back of her mind, Catherine can't help but shriek out of instinctive fear against the giant man.

Said man freezes the moment she starts crying, shock in his face, inches away from her.

Oh, why was she born as a crybaby? Or is it because she is still a baby that she keeps crying so much?

The young woman—her new mother—plucks her off and cradles her gently in her arms, murmuring reassurances in Japanese.

Catherine still can't manipulate her tongue to form words—and it'll be suspicious and creepy, anyway—so she makes noises instead, hoping to convey apology for her attitude towards her new father.

When he reaches for her again, she lets him stroke her head. She genuinely feels happy when his face breaks into a wide grin—visible despite his shaky image.

So, this is her new family.

She loves her own family from her past, has loved them her whole life and will love them forever more, but if she is given this one now, then she will cherish them, too.

When she falls asleep this time, she doesn't know that it's going to be a long, long time before she sees her new father again.

\- o - o - o - o -

Meeting her brother is a marvel.

She has a twin.

They are set inside the same crib, and Catherine can't take her eyes off of him.

She has babies before, her own children and grandchildren. She always fell in love the moment she laid eyes on them, and this time is not an exception.

His face is round, his eyes are wide, his smile is contagious…

She has a brother, and he is beautiful.

\- o - o - o - o -

Being a baby is embarrassing.

She thought being old is the worst, but she was wrong. She struggled to do things then, but she's incapable to do anything now.

All she can do is cry.

When she is thirsty or hungry, she needs to cry for nursing.

When she wants a bathroom break, she soils herself and cries again.

When the silence and her weak body become too restricting, she has to cry again for any sort of companies and human contact.

Her new mother is very patient. Her husband—new father—is never around, and Catherine's brother is also a baby with many needs, so it must be a little hectic in the house, but she always comes with a smile whenever they're calling, and leaves only after making sure that they are safe and content.

Catherine hopes she will grow up quickly.

\- o - o - o - o -

There isn't any calendar inside their room, so Catherine can't keep track of time very well, but it's a handful of months later before she is familiar enough with the new language to _realize_.

People—the neighbors who visits, friends who accompanies them on trips outside—call her mother as "Nana."

Her brother's name is "Tsunayoshi".

Things click, and _oh_.

\- o - o - o - o -

Her new name is Fukuyuki.

She can't stop being Catherine.

\- o - o - o - o -

She tries to learn the language.

She gets the basic down. Greetings, foods, toys, nap time, _kaa-san _and _Tsuna_.

It's hard to learn more, though, because Nana never brings them out much except for grocery trips they can't avoid. Being a single mother sure takes most of her personal time away, even if she doesn't need to work because her husband—yes, Tsuna's father, and also her new one, but Catherine kind of forgot his name—always sends just enough money to get by.

Because of that, Catherine focuses on learning how to speak instead, getting used to her tongue and tries to form words without them getting jumbled up by her old accent or a baby's natural slur.

"Tsuna."

That's the first word she perfected. Tsuna is so small and helpless, and he's almost always by her side, staring on with that innocent brown eyes. How can she choose to start her life here with anything but his name?

She doesn't dare to speak in front of Nana or other people, yet, but when it's just her and Tsuna, she practices. Maybe that's why Tsuna starts attempting to mimic her, trying to echo the sounds she make.

The day her new twin gurgles out tiny bubbles and says "Tsuu—na!" in his own broken baby speech, Catherine laughs for the first time since her arrival here, and she keeps laughing long after the minute has passed.

She reaches across the small gap that seperates them and grabs onto his hand.

His fingers squeeze back around hers, and _oh_, she's _happy_.

She is happy that she finds a family again.

\- o - o - o - o -

Because Catherine can't track of time on her own, she follows Tsuna's lead on how far she should be capable of doing. Tsuna will starts crawling, then Catherine will mimic him a few days later with aching arms and knees. He starts craving biscuits, so Catherine knows it's acceptable to want solid foods, too. When he tries to start walking, Catherine stands up with relief, before dropping back down on her mattress because her legs are jelly.

Tsuna's first word in front of Nana, because of her influence, is his own name. Nana giggles with delight, taking a lot of pictures and calling her husband almost immediately so they can gush over it together. She's so happy even though Catherine might take Tsuna's real word away. Just for that, Catherine makes her first word for Nana as, "Mama".

People talk behind their back all the time. Being a single mother for a twin, especially when Nana is as loyal as she is to her vagrant husband . . . it catches attention. Sometimes, the attentions are good, drawing people in similar situation so they can bond over it, but sometimes, the attentions are bad. It might be jealousy or they're simply being mean, but Nana heard the neighbors, how they said her husband has left for good, how she's delusional for expecting him back.

She only smiles at them, pretending not to hear anything, but her eyes are hollow.

Tsuna's father doesn't answer the phone to comfort her.

Catherine decides to take matters into her own hand. She climbs up Nana's lap to touch her cheek, finally speaking her first word for her new mother.

"Mama."

Nana freezes in shock, a complete opposite from her reaction to Tsuna's first word. Tears slowly gather in her eyes. She tries to keep her composure, but soon enough, she finally gives in and breaks down, no longer able to repress her feelings. She holds Catherine in a tight hug, stuck between crying from the hurt and crying from the joy, occasional laughter slipping through her sobs. She whispers "Thank you" and "I love you" for Catherine—no, for _Fukuyuki_, _her daughter_—and Catherine hugs her back with her tiny arms.

Tsuna doesn't understand it yet, but he's drawn by the sound. He toddles over to where they sit, and tugs on Nana's skirt so she will pick him up, too.

They only cuddle there for the next few hours, but it's enough.

The next time someone talks bad about Nana again, she only smiles, but her eyes remain bright, because she will always have Tsuna and Fukuyuki on her side.

\- o - o - o - o -

Time goes by fast when you have to relearn everything. Nana is the only one who's ever around to teach them anything. No tutor before insane Reborn, it seems—and Reborn has to be insane, because this is real life for her and Tsuna, now. Even the thought of Reborn is scary. Poor, Tsuna.

Catherine only sees Tsuna's father once, during their first birthday. He came in with the biggest cake she has ever seen, which is saying something, considering she has made some pretty amazing cakes in the past, turning her small bakery into a success of a lifetime.

It tastes delicious and Tsuna loves it. Nobody stops Tsuna from eating too much, though. He spends the rest of the week ill and bedridden. Catherine pretends to be sick, too, because she doesn't want to leave Tsuna alone and she doesn't want to be around Nana's lying husband for too long.

She finally learns the man's name again that year. His name is Iemitsu.

Iemitsu doesn't feel like a father. Catherine never really has a good father figure in her life, but Iemitsu reminds her of Aldrich the most, away on duties he refuses to share, coming home only for personal relief, having no regards for their family's feelings. She remembers one of the latest comic book which depicted Tsuna's life. While she can't recall the situation clearly anymore, she can't shake the memory of him beating Tsuna down even after Tsuna has stopped fighting. Catherine doesn't remember why it happened, but for her, there will never be a reason good enough to excuse that.

Iemitsu might be a good gangster, but he is not a good father.

. . . Catherine still doesn't want Tsuna to grow up hating the man, though.

\- o - o - o - o -

Tsuna is a baby. That means everything is a danger hazard around him. He is a bit clumsy, and he gets fever a lot more than normal baby should, but he recovers from them without requiring further care in hospitals. Overall, he grows up well and healthy under her and Nana's constant watch.

Catherine doesn't even think about the flame magic until when they turn four years old. Oh, how she wishes she has the books with her.

Iemitsu is home again, with his boss this time, Nono, the head of the mafia family. Catherine doesn't want to have anything to do with the mafia, so after exchanging necessary greetings, she hides away in her room to improve her Japanese, watching the two men who talks on the veranda and occasionally glancing at Tsuna who is playing in the garden through her window.

She looks away to read only for a minute or two, but when she looks back, Tsuna is up on a tree, holding onto its shaky branch with his shaky arms.

The dread is her stomach tells her what's going to happen. She's not close enough to catch him.

He falls.

The flame that appears out of nowhere to suspend him in mid-air so he can slowly float down saves her from a heart attack. Her own shout is drown by Tsuna's father and Nono's surprise. The men are there, then, surrounding Tsuna to make sure that he's okay.

Catherine would run down to check on her brother, too, but _oh, she recognizes this scene_.

She can't hear what they are saying from her bedroom, but she doesn't need to. She knows what they will do.

_Seal Tsuna's flame, keep him away from the mafia. Protect him now, crippled him later_.

She can't stop them. It's all over before she can try. Nono snuffs the flame from Tsuna's eyes.

_His Dying Will . . ._

\- o - o - o - o -

Catherine thought she would be satisfied to watch Tsuna from afar. He will grow up strong, he will grow up kind, he will be surrounded by friends that love him for who he is. She doesn't need to change a single thing, she thought.

But Tsuna always has the flame to back him up. The flame is his lifeline, what keeps him alive through the bruises and the bleeding.

Watching his flame erased sends a deep, primal fear into Catherine's soul. Losing a son almost broke her before. She doesn't want to lose a brother, too.

She is here, in Tsuna's world. Things already changed.

The fear triggers something, dragging a memory that was buried in the back of her mind. Catherine suddenly remembers about the multiverse.

They might not be in a world she's familiar of, after all. She might be born in a world where Sawada Tsunayoshi won't survive.


	3. Starting School

Catherine was right. The sealing of Tsuna's innate nature had turned the curious, outgoing boy into someone tentative, far more clumsy and slower in processing things than he should have been.

She has no idea what Iemitsu was thinking. Five years into this new life, the man came back home a couple more times, and each moment he was there, he overwhelmingly doted on Tsuna and Yuki. That's why it's so weird. If he actually cares about them that much, then why sealed Tsuna's flame now only to drag him into the mafia world later, after he turns too timid and distrustful of his own self-worth? It's pure miracle that his counterpart survived everything the world threw at him. Or maybe it's luck, like the meaning tied to their names.

It's painful for her to watch him struggle as he grows. She watched him cry one time, when he realized that he wasn't as good as the other children, when the kids in the park avoided him because he was too slow and too careless. She hugged him, to make sure he knew that she and their mother would never leave him, ever.

Yuki herself has finally settled into her new identity, two or three years since she was reborn. She could finally start thinking of herself as Fukuyuki, not Catherine, when it's around her new family. Her Japanese also got better. She began to think in the new language, keeping English in the back of her mind for when she couldn't find a word that could express her thought and looked it up inside a dictionary.

When primary school started, she was a couple miles ahead in her study. She always loved reading, even in the far, distant past where books were a rarity. Actually, maybe that was the reason why she got so into it-turning knowledge into another rebellion she can clutched on in the middle of the oppressive world war.

She wasn't so diligent anymore, once she had grandchildren and turned too old to push her eyes as such. She grew to like her down days, when the world was peaceful and she could relax, sitting in a garden with a smile as the sun shone with warmth over her face.

That wish for contentment is now pushed aside, though. She has to be smarter so she can help Tsuna catch up step by step. Nana tried, but she never could understand why her bright little boy suddenly chose to keep running away from the lessons she wanted to teach them. Despite all the reassurances Yuki gave him, Tsuna was still deeply hurt when his mother's gaze filled with disappointment as he failed again in a task she had assigned to him. He thought she would give up once she sees how hopeless he was, become like one of the kids in the park who didn't want to have anything to do with him.

So, Yuki took it onto herself to teach him. Even if it required hours upon hours for him to understand or memorize something new, she wouldn't rush him. She knew how it feels to be helpless. It's the determination inside their eyes that would help pull them through.

Time passed by them steadily. They celebrated their six birthday without Iemitsu-thank goodness, because she didn't think she could handle seeing him fawning over their family, when she knew very well that he prized his job more than he cherished them. April rolled around, accompanied by blooming greenery and bright cherry blossoms all over Namimori.

Nana holds each of their hands as she walks them to their first day in primary school. Yuki hasn't seen that many children in one place, buzzing with relentless energy and nervousness, since Catherine picked up her own grandson for the last time in his middle school's graduation day. That was probably when Chris began to hate her, when she tried to console him for failing his year in front of everybody's eyes. She always forgot how fragile a youth's heart could be.

Shaking the morose thought away, she glanced around, taking in the concern shining inside her mother's eyes and the awe radiating from Tsuna's gaping face. Seems like he never see this much kids his age at the same time, too.

Unlike the excitement shown by various fresh students, Tsuna shrinks away, shifting closer to hide behind his mother's skirt. Fear dances in his expression. It's the same worry he had when he thought he was going to be shunned by everyone again.

Before Yuki could move to reassure him, Nana crouches down so their sights are more aligned. She has each hand around their shoulders, looking from Tsuna to Yuki, then back again.

"Will you guys be okay?" She asks, her own anxiety finally escapes the confine of her mind.

Yuki has no trouble nodding, but Tsuna hesitates, looking around for a while before he answers with a smaller nod. It's clear that he doesn't want to disappoint their mother again.

Yuki is proud of his courage. She takes her brother's hand, reminding him that she will be there, no matter what. "We're good, mamma."

_Mamma_. Italian for mom. Another thing hanging over them like an omen for the future; Iemitsu's influence that sticks on their family like a leech.

Yuki hasn't show her distaste for that nickname in a long time, though. It makes their mother happy, and it's far easier to pronounce than any of its Japanese counterpart anyway, so mini-Tsuna was happy, too, when he could pronounce it right.

Nana smiles, allowing herself a bit of relief that neither Yuki nor Tsuna begs to go home. Drawing them both into a quick hug, she bids them farewell. "I'll pick you up when the classes are over. Have fun, okay?"

They nod together. When Tsuna seems to be stuck where he stands, Yuki tugs at his hand to get him moving. He slowly follows her through Namimori Elementary's entrance gate, although he still glances back a couple times or hides his eyes behind the yellow cap everyone wears as their uniform.

The class they're assigned to is written in the same tag carrying their name. That tag is pinned over their shirt, so the teachers will be able to direct lost students to their proper homeroom.

Luckily, they're not separated. Yuki and Tsuna got 1-C as their designated classroom. They goes along with the trail of students that trickles all over the place under the teachers' frazzled guidance.

Apparently, this place is one of the most popular public school in the city, alongside Namimori Middle and Namimori High. It's so crowded. Inside 1-C alone contains up to 37 students. An unseen number in any classes in Catherine's former schools.

Since this is the first day, Miss Kyou, their teacher, leads everyone to introduce themselves. They are to offer at least their name and their hobby, maybe so those with similar interests can get to know each other better later.

Yuki gives her name and shares that she particularly loves baking. Her answer is normal, replied by the automatic greetings that echo from various other tables. Tsuna, though, when it's his turn right after her, stands up shyly and says that what he likes are spending time with his mother and his twin sister. Yuki has to cover her mouth to prevent a coo, because that answer is so adorable, but not everyone agrees apparently.

Several kids boo at Tsuna, who shrinks away under their mocking words. "Mummy's boy," one goes. They had sensed Tsuna's vulnerability and instinctively unable to leave him be.

Yuki shakes her head. She tugs Tsuna's hand again so he stop paying attention to their jeer. Ms. Kyou also claps her hands to regain order and tells the next student to continue their introduction, distracting everyone before they can see the hurt and resignation settling inside Tsuna's eyes.

Too worried about him, Yuki misses a handful of names and hobbies, until she hears someone who snaps her attention back to the classroom proper.

"My name is Sasagawa Kyoko! I like eating sweets and I like my mum, dad, and my big brother, too!"

The high-pitched voice announces brightly as warm colored eyes glance at Tsuna with a blinding smile. The entire class is stunned into silence. They mocked Tsuna before for loving his family, but nobody dares to say anything mean to this girl who shines like the sun itself.

Yuki knows Kyoko must've only spoken what she felt, but for Tsuna, it must've worth more than that. Someone agrees with him, supporting him. His cheeks are now dusted with red and his eyes are wide as he stares at her in awe.

Is this when his crush for her started, then?

Yuki doesn't have long to ponder on it, because a boy two seats away from Kyoko stands up, grinning even wider than Kyoko did before. "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi! Baseball and sushi are my favorite, but I like my ma and pa, too!"

Nobody dares to mock him, either, because despite being a mere six years old and super tiny in Yuki's eyes, Yamamoto is taller and looks stronger than normal kids his age. No wonder he's going to be popular.

Tsuna is now staring at him, too, but Yamamoto doesn't return the gesture, probably because he doesn't even notice it. Like Kyoko, it's pretty obvious that he just said what he felt was true.

Yamamoto is like the final trigger, the one who lets a handful more students after him to feel comfortable enough to admit that they love-or hate, as a scowling kid chooses to say-their family.

Tsuna finally relaxes back into his seat and Yuki can let him go and starts paying attention to their new classmates again. She definitely didn't expect to see Kyoko and Yamamoto in the same class as them-she actually has forgotten about them for a long time, before their miniature presences brought all of the animated memories back to the forefront of her mind.

Both of them are so small, right now. If she didn't hear their name, she wouldn't have recognized them at all with the yellow hat obscuring most of their features away.

Soon, the round of introduction is over and Ms. Kyou makes everyone applaud each other for their successful debut.

Yuki stops thinking about the past because the lesson finally begins and she has to pay close attention so she can help Tsuna to keep up with their studies later. It doesn't matter if what they're taught are still basic mathematics or simple kanji or social and moral guidance. It's definitely important to learn them all.

Their first day in the new school ends without any fanfare. Tsuna and Yuki find Nana waiting amongst other parents, and she makes them share all of their experiences on the way home.

Tomorrow and most of the days that follow go pretty much the same way, with attendance call replacing the student's introduction. Lunch time is Tsuna's favorite, because he can relax and eat next to her in class. Break time, on the other hand . . .

Yuki stops on her way back from helping Ms. Kyou carries her paperwork to the teacher's lounge. She frowns in displeasure, watching as a boy named Mochida shoves Tsuna to the ground to get him away from his tag team.

She doesn't want to coddle Tsuna, but this has been happening three days in a row. By now, Tsuna doesn't even want to play with the other kids. He just wants to have a peaceful break. Yet, this still happens, anyway. It's bullying. There is no other words to describe it.

Yuki has had enough. Asking nicely to be left alone doesn't work. Calling the teachers only ends up with them being told to play nice. So, it's time to take action into her own hands.

Catherine doesn't know any martial arts, but heaven knows she needed to protect herself after she left Aldrich and made people think it was easy to pick on her. She can't fight, and the technique might not work on insane people like Reborn and the mafia, but on vandals and children bully? It's a sure fire way to get rid of them.

Yuki marches away to find the school's storage room. With a sweet smile, she ask to borrow a broom or a mop from the caretaker she meets. To clean up a little mess, she says.

Calling her a responsible girl who must've been raised well, he guilelessly gives her the broom. Silently delivering her apology, Yuki dashes back towards the yard.

Mochida and his gang is laughing down at Tsuna who's sprawled with teary eyes on the ground. From the edge of the yard, she stomps her feet and exclaims loudly to catch their attention. "HEY!"

When everyone turns their heads towards her, she lifts up her broom and makes sure all of them see as she dips the cleaning apparatus into the gutter surrounding the yard.

They stares blankly, unable to understand what she is planning, until Yuki lifts up the dirty, sodden broom and swings it in an arc, splattering the ground before them with nasty glops-waste that comes from the kitchen, bathroom, and who knows from what other places in the school.

Finally, her action sinks into their head.

Yuki swings the broom for the second time, and the elementary school children screams in horror, including her dear brother, little Tsuna.

She dips her broom again into the gunk that fills the school's gutter and brandishes the delightful mess like a sword. Everyone freezes, glancing back and forth between her and her brother, debating whether it's worth it to get Tsuna in exchange for catching the black goop that might haunt their nose and their clothes for the rest of the day.

It's never worth it.

"Le-let's go! We'll get them back later!" The bullies scatter with a feeble threat that doesn't scare Yuki at all.

For now, she manages to protect Tsuna, just like she protected her bakery during the hunger strike in the past. At least this wasn't as bad as back then.

You know, now that she thinks about it, she gets an idea. Maybe she should bake and share some cookies or cupcakes so everyone can get along. It worked before, after all.

But she leaves that thought for another day. She goes to help Tsuna up, but he flinches away from her. Blinking in surprise, she realizes that she still carries the smelly broom with her.

"Oh, sorry about that." She throws the broom away and offers her hand again. This time, Tsuna lets her help him stands. "Are you hurt?"

"I-I'm okay…" Tsuna replies, then adds more quietly, "I'm sorry, Yuki. You always need to help me."

"Hey, don't apologize," Yuki gently scolds him. "You did nothing wrong. Remember what I told you to say instead?"

Tsuna continues to look down for several more seconds, before he lifts his head and sincerely says, "Thank you, Yuki."

"There we go." Yuki affectionately pats his head. She thinks for a bit, before adding, "If you'd like, I can even teach you how to chase the others away."

"R-really?" Tsuna stares at her with wide eyes.

Yuki beams. "Of course!"


End file.
